Rail-brace



T. KELLER.

RAIL BRACE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I9. m9.

Patented Aug. 26, 1919.

Hum/nice Thomas alien To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THoMAs KELLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Paris, in the county of Bourbon and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Braces; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to a rail brace and anti-creeper for use on railroad tracks, and aims to provide a novel and improved, simple and inexpensive means for connecting the rails of a track, in order to keep them from. spreading, to reduce the number of spikes and ties necessary, for purpose of economy.

A further object is the provision of such device which can be used during the re- H pair of the track for holdin the rails in place, thus insuring the sa e passage of trains thereover, and the device is also useful in holding the rails in proper, position to prevent canting, and will hold new rails in place when being laid.

\ A still further object is the provision of a rail tie device having novel means for engaging the rails to brace and hold them firmly in place.

' Another object is the provision of a device of the nature indicated, the parts of which can be readily manufactured and assembled with one another and the rails, the parts being also readily taken apart for purpose of repair.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will be apparent as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes can be made wlthin the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device as applied to the rails, portions being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof.

The tie member comprising the present device, embodies a pair of bars 1 disposed end to end in alinement so as to extend underneath the rails R, and the adjacent ends of said bars are preferably olfset down- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS KELLER, F PARIS, KENTUCKY.

RAIL-BRACE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 26, 1919. Application filed March 19, 1913,. Serial No. 283,516.

wardly so as to be out of the way. The bars 1 are provided adjacent to their opposite ends with portions 2 bent on compound curves to provide the portions 3 curved convexly transversely of the bars, and the portlons 1 curved in the opposite direction or concaved transversely of said bars. The portions 3 and 4 of each bar provide a slight resiliency, the portion 3 being adapted to bear upwardly against the base of the rail, while the portion 4: is spaced below the base of said rail. The opposite ends of the bars 1 are provided with overhanging portions 5 to overlap the base flanges of the rails at the outer sides thereof, and said portions or hooks 5 having upstanding braces 6 fitting the outer sides of the rails, to prevent said rails from tilting or canting outwardly. The portions 3 bear upwardly against the rails underneath the braces 6, while the portions 4 are near the inner edges of the rail bases.

In order to clamp the bars to the rails, U- shaped clips 7 are provided, said clips having slots 8 in their intermediate portions for the bars 1, so that the arms or flanges of the clips 7 extend outwardly, the upper arms being shaped to overlap and fit the inner base flanges of the rails, and the lower arms sliding into contact with the portions 4 underneath the same. Thus, when the clips 7 are forced outwardly into place, the portions 4 will be compressed slightly between the base flanges of the rails and the lower arms of the clips 7, also clamping the portions 3 against the rails, and thereby securely clamping the rails on the bars. The clips 7 are held in place by transverse keys 9 inserted and driven through slots 10 in the bars 1 behind the clips 7.

The adjacent ends of the bars 1 are secured together by means of clamp bars or plates 12 overlapping the adjacent ends of the bars above and below the same, with bolts 11. extending through the bars 1 and plates 12 to clamp them together. It is preferable to provide insulation 13 between the bars 1 and the plates 12 and bolts 11, so as to insulate the rails R from one another when they are used as part of an electrical circuit.

In applying the device, the bars 1 are first slid inwardly under the rails, and the clips 7 then slid over the inner ends of the bars into place against the rails, so that the keys or pins 9 can be driven through the bars to fasten the bars to the rails. The plates 12 and bolts 11 can then be applied to firmly attach the bars 1 together. The device thus forms a tie member between the rails, to prevent them from spreading, and the rails will be firmly braced in place. This device will provide economy in the use of spikes and the ties as well, because the number of spikes and ties need not be so great as now necessary. This device will also provide convenient means for use in track repairing, to insure safety of traffic over the rails, and has other advantages which will be obvious from the foregoing.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. A device of the character described comprising a bar having a brace to fit one side of a rail, a U-shaped clip having a slot in its intermediate portion for the reception of said bar so that said clip can be slid on the bar, one arm of the clip being adapted to overlap the base flange of the rail, and the other to engage under the bar for clamping said base flange and bar together.

2. A device ofthe character described embodying a bar having a concaved portion to be disposed below a rail and having a brace to fit one side of the rail, and fastening means to clamp the base flange of the rail and bar together having means to overlap said base'flange and engage under said concaved portion.

3. A device of the character described embodying a bar having a concaved portion to be disposed below a rail and having a slidable on the bar to overlap the base flange and engage under said concaved portion to clamp them together.

5. A device of the character described embodying a bar having aconcaved portion to be disposed below a rail and having a brace to fit one side of the rail, a U-shaped clip having its intermediate portion slotted to fit slidably on said bar, the upper and lower arms of said clip being adapted to overlap and engage under the base flange of the rail andv said concaved portion, respectively, and means engaging the bar for holding the clip against the rail.

In testimony. whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THO'S. KELLER.

Witnesses: A

PEARCE PA'roN, GRACE HASKINS. 

